The harsh winter weather in Flagstaff can make life difficult for its residents. But for the local homeless population, relief from the snow is not as easy as turning up the thermostat.

“Everyone talked about how they loved Flagstaff’s weather and feel, so I decided to come here from Phoenix,” said Curtis, a transient waiting for check-in at the Sunshine Rescue Mission on San Francisco Avenue. “It’s a little colder than I thought, but I’m from Missouri so it’s not that bad.”

While many members of the homeless population migrate south to Phoenix for the warmer weather, others come to Flagstaff to look for work. Curtis said he came to Flagstaff for work and to live in a town with less “craziness” than a larger city. He had interviews at a local retail store and a landscaping company, and he said there has been no shortage of job opportunities in town. He said he enjoys the laid-back atmosphere of Flagstaff compared to the bustle of larger cities.

“I came here to get out of Phoenix,” Curtis said. “That town is out of control.”

To live homeless in Flagstaff is a difficult and deadly choice. Sgt. Tom Boughner of the Flagstaff Police Department said 1-2 homeless people die each year from exposure to the elements. In most communities, there is no system in place to track homeless deaths.

Homeless from Page 1

In Flagstaff, nine people who were either without a current home address or known to be homeless died during 2006, including one transient who died after his tent caught fire from a lit candle he was using for warmth.

Boughner considers the deaths tragic and said the controversial city camping ordinance law is a tool to provide help to the homeless and needy.

“Some people don’t realize how much in danger the homeless are, either by criminals or the weather,” Boughner said. “Before the ordinance, (the police) would only get involved with the homeless if they were trespassing, drunk and disorderly, or otherwise.”

Boughner said the new law allows officers to approach an individual if they appear to be camping within city limits. On first contact, the officer will issue a written warning to the person if they appear to be mentally cognizant and plan to move on, as well as an information sheet listing Flagstaff support services.

If they are caught sleeping in the same location after being issued a warning, the officer can make an arrest. Boughner emphasizes the law is directed toward helping those in need, not punishing the homeless.

“It’s not against the law to be homeless,” Boughner said. “But it is against the law to camp in city limits.”

Boughner said an important aspect of the ordinance is that officers can help the homeless receive medical attention and other forms of financial and personal help, if necessary. The law also helps prevent forest fires, because officers concentrate more on illegal campfires during the summer months. He admits the law is designed to reduce the number of homeless on the streets, but in a helpful, humane way.

“Most people on the streets are there because they are down on their luck or have an existing mental disorder and are not on their medication; (the police) try to help these individuals the best they can,” Boughner said. “However, there are some individuals who actually prefer sleeping on the streets and don’t want their lives to change, and we can’t help those individuals if they don’t want help.”

In 2006, there were 73 warnings given out in accordance with the city camping ordinance. Eleven of those have resulted in the arrest of an individual.

The ordinance received national attention when a 2006 survey conducted by the National Coalition for the Homeless declared Flagstaff one of the meanest cities regarding homeless people. The American Civil Liberties Union described the law as illegal and is working on a court case against the city of Flagstaff.

Phillip Stonecipher, behavioral specialist at the homeless outreach program at Catholic Social Services, helps the homeless by giving out blankets and warm clothing during the wintertime. He said although the ordinance has not resulted in a large amount of arrests, the threat of being arrested has caused many homeless to go into hiding, which makes his job more difficult.

“If I’m out there trying to help, most of the population does not know me and I have to keep it as low-key as possible,” Stonecipher said. “If I’m going out to a camp site in the woods, they could feel like they could get in trouble, but I have to assure them I’m there just to provide help and I don’t want to bust them.”

Stonecipher considers the ideal solution to be a state-run homeless shelter in the Flagstaff area. There are currently only two shelters in Flagstaff, one all-male and the other all-female.

Stonecipher said the problem with the existing shelters is they are run by a private organization, dependant on donations. He said a state-owned shelter would be useful because a steady income would make it easier to provide regular services to the needy.

Mayor Joe Donaldson said the idea of a state-run homeless shelter is a current topic of discussion in City Hall, but funding for a shelter will be difficult for a town with a population of 62,000.

“It’s a complex issue because it involves people and it involves money,” Donaldson said. “Our population is much smaller than a city like Phoenix, so the program would need to be supported not only by the city government but the community itself.”

Donaldson said there are solutions already in place to help the homeless in the community, but considered the solutions “territorial.” Meetings are currently underway with Flagstaff officials and Catholic Social Services to devise an improved city plan to help the homeless.